Letters to various people in Governors letterbooks Volume 1 (ITM17659)

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A. It is simply impossible to create here a corps of Volunteer Artillery without an officer of that branch of the service to instruct and train the men and to superintend the erection (at the cost of the colony) of the necessary batteries &c. Commodore Beauchamp Seymour, lately commanding Her Majesty's Naval Forces on the Australian Station, and Lt. Colonel Hamilton commanding the 12th. Regt. recently detached by yourself on a tour of inspection in this Colony, concur in reporting to me that without a Battery of Volunteer Artillery to man the guns presented by the Queen to Queensland, not only must Her Majesty's gracious gift to her loyal subjects here continue entirely useless, but Brisbane, the capital, and the other sea-port towns of this Colony, containing a large amount of British property, must remain entirely defenceless and liable to be destroyed or plundered, by the boats of any hostile men of war or privateer which may approach these shores. B. I need scarcely remind you that an Officer of emmient professional ability might yet be wanting in the peculier tact required to render him capable of creating and managing with success a corps of Australian Volunteers. Now Captain H.D. Pitt is a known and tried man. He has been for several years past prominently before the public of Queensland as Aide-de-Camp to Governor General Sir W.Denison, and adjutant to the Volunteer Artillery in New

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New South Wales, of which this Colony so recently formed a part. And it is everywhere acknowleged that he has secured, to a remarkable degree, the respect and confidence of the Colonists of all political parties and of all social classes. On this point, I will quote the testimony of Colonel O'Connell now commanding the Queensland Volunteer Rifle Brigade, a retired officer of H.M's Army of much service and experience. He writes in an official report to me as follows: "I am aware that Captain Pitt has already lent his aid with success to the formation of the Volunteer Artillery in New South Wales and I am convinced that not only from his professional attainments but from the possession of these personal and individual qualifications which are necessary to manage with any success Colonial Volunteers, he is emminently fitted to do good service in fixing and making permanent the volunteer movement in the Colony of Queensland". 7. I may here observe that from the Army List of April 1862, I percieve that there are several precedents at the present movment for the employment of officers of the Royal Artillery on the persnal staff of Civil Governors. For example, Captain Lascelles R.A. Lt Colonel Travers R.A and Lieut Strahan R.A are now on the personal staffs, respectively, of the Lord Leiutenant of Ireland, of the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, and the Lord High Commisionner

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Commissioner of the Ionian Islands. And it will not be forgotten that these last-mentioned Officers are withdrawn from their professional duties, whereas in Queensland Captain Pitt is employed on the special Military Service of organising a Volunteer Artillery and superintending the erection of batteries, for the defence of the Colony; and is further available (as he was while serving on Governor General Sir William Denison's Staff at Sydney.) for any other Military duty whatsoever, which he may be called upon to perform by the War Office, or by the Major-General Commanding Her Majesty's Troops in Australia.

8. There is another point which would appear to entitle Queensland to special consideration in a matter of this kind. This Colony, alone of all the dependencies of the Crown, has been founded and organised without costing the Mother Country a single shilling. Further Queensland protects by its Corps of Mounted Border Police and at a very heavy expenditure, borne entirely by Colonial Funds, the interior boundary of the Colony (which is also the boundary of the British Empire,) against the Aborigines, there numerous and hostile. In other words, Queensland does for itself what the Mother-Country does for the Cape and for New Zealand. The Queenslanders have already taxed themselves for armed protection alone at the rate of at least one pound four shillings

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shillings per head of the present population of the Colony; - whereas the people of the United Kingdom pay only at the rate of about eighteen shillings per head for the British army and Navy.

9. To recaptiulate; - seeing that Queensland has been founded and settled without the cost of a single shilling to the Mother-Country; - seeing the large amount of our exports and imports, and of British Capital invested here - seeing the value of this territory as the probably future cotton-field of Great Britain; seeing the high comparative rank already attained by it ampong the other dependencies of the Crown; seeing that Queensland already provides at its own expense for its own protection against the Aborigines, a protection which is afforded elsewhere at the expense of the Imperial Treasury; seeing that without the aid of an Officer of the Royal Artillery, this Colony must, for the reasons already stated, remain entirely defenceless against any external attack, and the battery of heavy guns presented to it by Her Majesty must continue useless; - on these and on the other grounds enumerated above, the Government of Queensland, as representing the Legislature and people of this Colony, request me to submit to favourable consideration their application for Captain H. D. Pitt of the Royal Artillery, and for two Officers and fifty men of the line, to form the nucleus of,

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Major-General Sir T. S. Pratt K.C.B. erc. etc. etc Melbourne

of, and to instruct and drill the Volunteer Corps, and other local forces which Her Majesty's loyal subjects now intend to form and maintain for the defence of this Colony against external attacks.

10. Believing that you will agree with me that this application is far from unreasonable, under all the circumstances of the case, and that it will meet with your support in the proper quarter.

I remain &c, signed G. F. Bowen

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No. 16

Enclosure dated 8 Aug. 62

Commodore Burnett C.B &c &c &c H.M.S "Orpheus" Sydney

Government House Brisbane, Queensland 11. August 1862

Sir

With reference to your letter of the 29th. ult., I have the honor to state that the Colonial Secretary, by my direction, called upon the Commander of the "Telegraph" steamer, for an explanation of his conduct in Moreton Bay on a recent occasion, with regard to H.M.S. "Pioneer" I enclose a copy of the explanation tendered by Commander O'Reilly.

I have &c (signed) G. F. Bowen

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No 17.

To Commodore Burnett C.B. &c. &c. &c.

Government House Brisbane, Queensland 25 August 1862.

Sir,

I have the honor to request you to provide, if possible, a passage in H. M. S. 'Pioneer' on our expedition to Cape York, for Mr Walter Hill, the Colonial Botanist of Queensland.

2. Mr Hill was sent out to this Colony from the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. He collects plants &c for that establishment as well as for the Botanical Gardens at Brisbane. His advice and experience as to the nature of the soil, - vegetation &c will also be highly useful to us in the selection of the most suitable site for the new Station, which it is proposed to establish at Cape York by the joint cooperation of the Imperial and of the Queensland Governments.

3. Under these circumstances, it cannot, I think, fail to be held that Mr Hill's presence on our expedition, in seas and along coasts the natural productions of which have hitherto been but little explored, will tend to further the cause of Science, and Imperial even more than Colonial interests -

I have &c (signed) G. F. Bowen

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No 18.

To The Right Reverend The Lord Bishop of Brisbane &c &c &c

Government House Brisbane October 27th. 1862

My Lord,

I have the honor herewith to transmit to your Lordship a copy of a despatch from His Grace the Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies respecting the address of Condolence with the Queen forwarded by your Lordship through the Bishop of Sydney-

I have &c

(signed) G. F. Bowen

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No 19.

Commodore Burnett C.B.. &c &c &c H.M.S. "Orpheus" Sydney -

Government House Brisbane, Queensland October 30. 1862.

Sir,

I have the honor to inform you that I have consulted the Executive Council of Queensland respecting the contents of your letter of the 21st. I enclose copy of a Minute of Council recording the decision of the Government of this Colony; - in which I entirely concur.

It affords me much gratification to be the channel for communicating to you the thanks of this Colony, for the zeal and ability which you displayed during the interesting and important expedition on which, under instructions from Her Majesty's Government, we have recently been engaged. It will be my duty to transmit a copy of the enclosed minute to the Lords Com - - missioners of the Admiralty through the Secretary of State for the colonies.

I have &c (Signed) G. F. Bowen

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No 20.

To Commodore Burnett C.B. &c &c &c H.M.S "Orpheus" Sydney -

Government House Brisbane, Queensland November 12. 1862.

Sir,

I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of my despatch to the Secretary of State, respecting our recent expedition to Cape York &c - also of a report from Mr Walter Hill, the Colonial Botanist of Queensland.

I have &c (Signed) G. F. Bowen